


Stages and Memories (and What it Takes to Keep Them)

by november_nights



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Hamilton References, Human AU, M/M, Singing, can be taken as mikuni/johannes, hyde is part of a crime circle, kranz owns a theatre, kuro and hugh are judges, mikuni and johannes have a feud, servamps arent related in this, singing competition au with vague resemblance to the plot of Sing, small mikuni/jeje, started out as a SING AU only ive never seen sing and have no intention to, trans!licht, tsubaki team, tsubaki team is a choir
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 04:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11960004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/november_nights/pseuds/november_nights
Summary: The stage, the bright lights, the seemingly endless rows of red seats before it all. The familiar musty smell, so lived yet so loved, the memories that walked alongside each performer as they crossed the stage, the music that might not ever stop ringing through the building, even when no one was left playing. Everything that made it feel the way it did.All of these things, they were reasons not to lose it.After profits took a major fall, Kranz knew he was only waiting for his theatre to be taken away. Nevertheless, that was not enough to brace him for the pain that would hit when he finally received the notice from the bank. He would do anything to keep the shows going, to keep the memories alive. Therefore, he decided to put off a final production in hopes to bring in enough money to save it--a singing competition.





	Stages and Memories (and What it Takes to Keep Them)

The stage, the bright lights, the seemingly endless rows of red seats before it all. These were the basics of the theatre. The nearly ever-present cameras, the cluttered wings, and the carpet of the aisles. Those were the little things that it would never stand without. The familiar musty smell, so lived yet so loved, the memories that walked alongside each performer as they crossed the stage, the music that might not ever stop ringing through the building, even when no one was left playing. Everything that made it feel the way it did.

All of these things, they were reasons not to lose it.

Two weeks and three days past, a dreaded notice had arrived at the owner’s doorstep. Without a doubt, he’d been expecting it for some time, although the mental preparation could never have been enough to brace him for the pain that hit him as his fears (and suspicions) became reality. If he failed to pay the bill for one more month, the theatre would be taken by the bank. And that was all. It would likely be demolished, alongside the inspiration it had given to so many. It would never be brought back, there was no way.

Now, with only one month, he was pressed to find a way to save it. Luckily, the owner was not so witless that he would neglect to consider a plan for this before now. In fact, he’d been thinking about it for months, maybe even up to a year, ever since the first major failure of a production (for those that did not attend this disaster, it could be simply explained as ‘Cats but Half of the Set Collapsed Partway Through Act I’; they truly should not have attempted to go the cheap way about arranging the giant garbage and just hired a professional).

With so much time to think and rethink, the idea had slowly formed within the owner’s thoughts. As the notice arrived, he finally found himself forced to put it forward, in the highest of hopes for it to be successful. The same day that he received the notice, he called his co-worker and closest friend to present him with the idea.

“…A singing competition?” Guildenstern mumbled to himself, not sounding entirely convinced.

“Yes! Think about it,” Kranz, the theatre’s owner, returned. “Anyone can enter, no matter what they do or if they’re professional. I could enter, if I wasn’t the host. The cashier at the supermarket could enter.” He explained. “Maybe even you could enter.”

“I wouldn’t ever. But I see what you mean.” The other commented, his brows knitting together in thought. “So, would there be a prize for the winner?”

“I was thinking ten thousand dollars would be right.” Kranz decided.

“That would attract more people. But you’re forgetting that you’re broke. You don’t have ten thousand left on you.” Guildenstern pointed out.

“I know that.” Kranz sighed. “And I’m guessing you’re not about to give me-“

“Never.” The mascot cut in before he could even finish the sentence. “Look, you’re my best friend and a great co-worker, but if this fails, which is very well possible, I know there’s hardly a chance of me getting that money back. Considering the way this job is looking, too, it doesn’t seem like I’ll have any money to give away in the near future.” Kranz deflated a little, shifting his gaze to the floor before him. He should have known that would be the answer. “If I don’t give the money to you and this does all fall apart, though,” Guildenstern then added, and Kranz glanced back up at him, hopeful. “I will try to help you. You know you’re welcome at my place, if it comes to that.”

“Thank you, but I could never accept that.” Kranz then refused.

“I thought you’d say that.”

“I also knew you’d offer.” They knew each other all too well. It was years of working together that did made them like that. It was the theatre that built friendships like theirs.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Kranz suddenly enquired. Guildenstern gave him a suspicious glance, fairly certain he already know where this was going.

“Rosen—“

“You do remember it, don’t you?” He interrupted before the mascot had a chance to take down his attempt. Once again, they knew one another far too well—well enough for Kranz to know Guil would try to move on from the argument without considering it, because he knew that he knew he would be swayed if he did stop to think about it.

“How long has it been now? Ten years?” Kranz then queried. “It’s interesting how I still remember it so clearly after so long. I wasn’t the owner of the theatre at that time, of course. But you were still the mascot, weren’t you?"

“I was.” Guildenstern admitted. “But that really—“

“I was leaving rehearsal late one night, and most of the lights were turned off in the corridors. I thought I was alone, although I was a little creeped out by the possibility that someone could have been hiding in the shadows. Of course, we were only eighteen back then. And then, when I heard someone walking behind me, it could have screamed. It didn’t help to find a giant whale at the other end of the hallway.”

“You did scream.” The mascot pointed out. “And you scared me too.”

“Right, I did. What were you even doing there so late?”

“I was working overtime.”

“In the whale suit.” Kranz chuckled. “But we walked together after that, which was less scary. It became kind of funny then, to think I got so scared by a giant whale. Every time I walk down that corridor, I remember that night. Of course, we leave at the same time most nights anyway, so I get to relive something similar. Minus the fright.”

“I know what you’re trying to do, Rosen.”

“Is it working? It would be a shame never to see that corridor again, you know.”

Guildenstern sighed, suppressing a smile. He remembered that night with the same fondness that his best friend did. After the incident in the corridor, the teenagers stuck together until they reached the exit, shaken and laughing at themselves at the same time. Even then, they walked together for as long as possible before going home. This could be blamed on fear of the dark, but it was pretty clear to both of them that they just wanted to enjoy each other’s company and talk for a little longer.

“I’ll tell you what. I’m not going to give you the money,” Guildenstern explained, much to his partner’s disappointment. “But, I will help you try to raise the money to do it, and I’ll do whatever I can to support this competition. In the end, if you’re a bit short, I might loan you enough to cover whatever’s left.”

“Thank you, Guil!” Kranz cried, relief and joy washing over him finally. “We can do this, I promise!” He gave him a hearty thumbs up, with that dazzling smile.

“Sometimes I think you’ll be the end of me.” Guil commented in false disdain. “Now, come on. We’ve been friends for a decade, you can do better than that.” Without further hesitation, he pulled the smaller man into a hug.

“We can save the theatre.” Rosen said into his shoulder. “If we really set our hearts to it.”

“And will you stay with me if we can’t?”

“I’m not going to think about ‘can’t.’ We can do this.” He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his friend for several moments longer.

Once they broke up, they must have spent the entire night planning. Kranz was hardly surprised to see the sun on the horizon, and the two were still up (well, Guildenstern was only somewhat awake, but he was trying his best). He wouldn’t give up until the bank forced him to do it. Not with all of the memories endlessly motivating him. They would save the theatre.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for joining me to read this fic! It's going to be a wild ride because, as I've said, I wrote this to be personal and had no plans to post it until recently. I'm only rewriting it to make it more sensible now.  
> Now, once again, please do not expect this to be an actual Sing AU. This is a Sing AU only I've never seen Sing and have really only seen part of the trailer. This also got a lot gayer than intended, but I'm a lot gayer than intended, so,  
> P.S., happy birthday to Tsurugi!


End file.
